Having problems getting your PS3/360/Wii to have an optimized connection? Getting a crap ton of lag? Read on to see if you can fix your issue, bear in mind I CLAIM NO AUTHORSHIP of this, just copy-pasta from a private section of some forums I frequent.



---------------------------Upgrade to latest firmware---------------------------

This should be a no-brainer, but it is a good idea to upgrade to the latest firmware as some manufacturers fix commonly known problems in subsequent firmware updates. Download them from the website of your router manufacturer, select your model number (and proper revision), and download and update it.

*Note* Do NOT upgrade your firmware from a wireless connection, always use a wired connection to upgrade your firmware.




---------------------------Try Custom Firmware---------------------------

(Paging Tech-Heads) It is known that certain types of linksys routers (more commonly older revisions or more expensive models) allow custom firmware revisions. I will leave this one up to people to post links for, but sometimes people who make custom firmware tweak settings for optimal usage in various areas, one of them being Online gaming.

People are saying Tomato is the way to go for Linksys Routers, so give it a shot if you are willing

http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato




---------------------------Change your Wireless Channel---------------------------

Usually something people overlook, changing the wireless channel can sometimes marginally improve a wireless connection by reducing interference from other wireless devices. The channels range from 1 to 11, the default being 6. Many routers have an option to automatically select the best channel for a given situation (you will know on a d-link router if the channel select tab is greyed out) but i recommend you put the router on 1,6, or 11.

Apparently the Wii is picky about this, and will only give a stable connection if on channel 1 or 11, so this can be a "set it and forget it" option for most users. Just put on 1 or 11 and continue on.




---------------------------WEP/WPA/WPA2 - SSID Naming---------------------------

If you don't want anyone randomly connecting to your router and using your internet, then you may want to put on some sort of security. (Disclaimer - Text Ahead MAY be innacurate, i am just summarizing what i know) WEP uses an encrypted passcode of your choosing, with an encryption length of your choosing, is more compatible with various devices, but is easier to crack. WPA and WPA2 use passcodes that have random encryption changes over a set period of time, so they are a bit harder to crack, but less compatible for wireless devices. PS3, PSP, and Wii support WPA2. XBOX 360 Supports WPA. When creating/changing a network password keep in mind that all wireless devices connected to the network need to have a password inputted before being able to connect to the network.

When naming your network (which you already probably have), try not to use a name that stands out (like MYNETWORKCAPS), as that may invite possible hackers.




---------------------------Try Turning on MAC filtering/Turning OFF SSID Broadcasting---------------------------

Another alternative to using passcodes is to turn off SSID broadcasting, esentially "hiding" your network from a regular SSID search. You will have to manually type in the name of your network for every wireless device using it, but it may have some benefits (Wii owners take note). Some devices will not work as well with WEP/WPA on, so this is an alternative. Keep in mind certain devices may not function properly when SSID Broadcasting is turned off as well, so this solution may not be for everyone.

You can also try using MAC filtering, which basically screens out all computers except ones with MAC addresses you want. Each wireless device has a unique MAC address, so to save yourself time have all the wireless devices you want already connected to your router, and copy the MAC addresses seen into the ones you want excluded for MAC filtering.




---------------------------DHCP Reservations---------------------------

To make port forwarding easier (explained later) it is a good idea to have some DHCP reservations. This makes it so that when a certain device connects, it will always have the same private IP address. What it is called depends on the router (as usual), but try looking for "DHCP reservations". Make sure you have the device connected beforehand as well so you will save some hassle assigning the reservation.




---------------------------Open some Ports---------------------------

No doubt if someone has asked for help on online gaming you will see at least one person type "oh go open some ports mang". Well i will not be any different from them, port forwarding is very important if you want to game online without sacrificing security. Port forwarding goes under many, many names, but for each router the telltale sign is:

- A dropdown tab or some sort of choice to choose between TCP and UDP
- The boxes conveniently are big enough to type numbers from 0-65535
- You will see boxes beside/on top of each other with the word "to" separating them
- You will see a box to input your private IP address
- You will see a box to name the port you forwarded (sometimes)

Routers usually have two separate pages with stuff like this, but one is actually "application triggering". You are not looking for that one.

Here are some ports you should have open for each system:

Xbox 360:
The following ports must be available for Xbox Live to operate correctly:
• UDP 88
• UDP 3074
• TCP 3074

Sony PS3:
All games published by SCEA may use the following ports for communication with game servers:

• TCP Ports: 80, 443, 5223, and 10070 - 10080
• UDP Ports: 3478, 3479, 3658, and 10070

For the PLAYSTATION®Network:

• TCP Ports: 80, 443, 5223
• UDP Ports: 3478, 3479, 3658

PLAYSTATION®3 Remote Play (via the Internet) requires:

• If the router in use supports UPnP, enable the router’s UPnP function.
• If the router does not support UPnP, you must set the router’s port forwarding to allow communications to the PLAYSTATION 3 from the Internet.
• The port number that is used by remote play is TCP Port: 9293

Nintendo Wii:
TCP:
Allow traffic to all destinations on ports: 28910, 29900, 29901, 29920, 80, and 443

UDP: Allow all ports to be open (i kinda don't really get this, but that is what Nintendo says)


Guides for Forwarding can be found here: http://portforward.com/


---------------------------The controversial "DMZ" option---------------------------

If the above still doesn't work, then you can try DMZ'ing your console. DMZ stands for Demilitarized Zone, and it essentially takes off any restrictions in connecting the device to the internet. Keep in mind that this may cancel out all port forwarding you may have for another device, and that this will make your console COMPLETELY vulnerable to any attacks. However, consoles do not have as much important information as a PC, so if nothing else works this can be tried.

*Note* I do NOT recommend doing this for a PC, ever.